Australian Blue-Banded Bees are Heavy Metal Fans?

Posted on December 16, 2015.

Some very interesting (and amusing) video from RMIT University in Melbourne Australia.

Researchers used high speed video to capture how Australian blue-banded bees pollinate flowers compared to other bees. Turns out they head-butt flowers at around 350 times per second! This head-butt action in turn releases the pollen.

This unique pollination from the blue-banded bee helps pollinate at least 30% of the crops in Australia. Check out the video below:

According to the paper that was published in Arthropod and Plant interactions journal, the Australian blue-banded bee is more efficient at buzz pollination than its north American cousin, the bumblebee.